Toxic Asia-Pacific

Citarum River, West Java, Indonesia

Indonesia’s Citarum River, in West Java, may be the most polluted river in the world. Clogged with the domestic waste of 9 million people, as well as the refuse from hundreds of factories, parts of the river are so densely packed with rubbish that boats moving through the debris are the only hint that there's any water below the surface. Locals no longer fish for food—they fish for refuse that can be salvaged and traded.

Photo: Andri Suprihadi